Hydraulic-ram dredge.



Patented Feb 8 eff me @a/af.

#eem i lcvRAM DREDGE. APPLLCATION FILED NO V. 4 19H.

` E. HYDRAUL w u, j

@We M right angles with the plane of the section` tain new and usefulImprovements in EDWIN K. oisniiiiv, or ALEXANDRIA, vineImA HYDnAULic-RAMDREDGE.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWIN K. OVBRLEN, a citizenof theUnitedStates,residing at Alexandria, in the county of Alexandria and State ofVirginia, have yinvented 1cprydraulic-Ram Dredges, of which thefollowing isa specification. i v

This invention relates to hydraulic ram dredges, and it includes incombination a hydraulic ram 'and hydraulic excavating appliances, theparts having preferably special construction and arrangement with regardto each other, and the whole being intended particularly for use where alarge amount of water is available which has only a small head or fall.Such conditions arise in con? nection with marsh lands situatedrneartide water, where itv is practicable to provide, by the construction ofdikes of appropriate position and extent, a receiving reservoir for theinflow of the tide water by which the rain and its dredging members areoperated, and by which the stirred up silt or soil with the watercarrying it may be sucked up and impelled through suitable lift pipes tothe places of deposit desired. After a time during the relatively highperiod of the tide, the reservoir fills up,.and as the tide falls thewater in the reservoir becomes higher than that on the outside, and thewater then flows from the reservoir in a reversed direction through theram.

It is an object of this invention, consequently, tol produce apparatusof the character and for the purpose set forth,'wherein the ram will beoperated, and the dredging` and soil-lifting operations carried on,whichever direction is taken by the flowing water through the ram, asthe head suiicient therefor is attained.

The construction of the various parts lof this invention, .and thearrangement of those parts, areillustrated drawings, of which- 4 Figure1 represents a vertical section of this invention in operative position,and showing the intake, discharge and lift vpipes connected with it.Fig. 2 is a vertical section of this invention taken' on a plane at inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the valve, somewhat enlarged. Fig. 4:is a side view of the rotary valve, the scale ofdrawing being the sameas in Fig. 3. .Fig 5 isa vertical section lengthwise of the clear waterin the accompanying i Specicaton ofLetters Patent.. v 1 3"g'ggqgnige'diFeb, 8, 191,6, Application led November 4, 1914. Serial No. 870,219. j vi intake, andthe concentric soil and water in- Throughof tLthe drawingsand description, thesame letter refers to the samepart'.V

Considering the drawings, the dike or embankment'A beingerected, theframe a isset up usually on the tide water side of the dike, and'bymeansofhangers B vthe ram b is supported uponfthe framef Thelram isprovided with the discharge pipe C, lin this description termed theclear water` discharge pipe-to distinguish it from-the soil and waterdischarge or lift pipes. The ram has a clearwater intake'D, that isconstructed ordinarily in practice with an elbow d having a movablythreaded or like connection with a turning bowl or hollow headE. Thus,the outer end of thejintake D mayrise or fall, or the intake may beswung around horizontally.. Y

This invention is alsoprovided withv the discharge pipes F and f forsoil and water, andl opening .into therambat right angles with thedischarge pipe C. The discharge or lift pipes F pipes Gr portion H ofthe soil and water intake pipe.

The inclined pipes ,G- and g are termed iny this application', theysuction pipes, as through them the soil and water are sucked up intothe pipes F and f. By means of the sleeve connection h,`the vertical armof the elbow K of the soil and waterfintake V76,-'

may turn on its axis. That is to say, ifthe hollow head or bowl bottom Eof the ram b is turned, the vertical arm of the elbow K will turn on itsaxis, as it rises in the center of the bo-wl E. Figsland 5, that theclear water intake D carries the soil and` water intake 7c axiallywithin it, as this invention is customarily constructed. Y i

. At the outer endof the intake D thereV is arranged a revoluble sleeveL, 'and at the outer end of the sleeve Lfthe're is secured the stirrer`The sleeve is revolved in the bearing m by the turbine 1N on theflow'of the water in ltheintake-D. It may be stated here, that the soilor'y silt intended to be dislodged and carried by the water insuspension, is very easily stirred up. In its finely divided state itrequires but little dredging devices and and 7, are' connected bytheinclinedl and g with the upper and stationary It will be here noted in:

to displace it and mix it with the water f aroundv it.

The rotary valve of the ram is marked O, and it has the turbine bucketsP and Q, one above the other The buckets arev designed to revolve thevalve, whatever may be the direction of the water flowing through` theram. The re maining parts of this invention are best described inconnection with the explanation of its inode of operation.

In the operation of this invention, let it be assumed that the buckets.of the valve have taken the positions indicated by the broken lines inFig. 2. There will be noted thetwo extensions 0r recesses R and 1 of thecasing of the ram b, that enable the water flowing in either directionto pass the buckets whenv they are in the positions indicated. The valvewill be revolved, and inl due course the cylindrical wall of the valvewill close the recesses Rv and r. The water cannot now reach thedischarge pipe C which opens above `the valve, but, the

water finds an koutlet by way of the pipe f after passing vthrough thebucket Q. In other words, the ii'ow of the water in the clear waterintake D is never stopped. It either iiows outwardly by way of thedischarge pipe C, or, by way of the soil and water discharge pipe f.There is now started an outwardly moving column ofv water in the pipe f,driven with some force by the momentum of the water flowing in throughthe intake D. That intake may be, and usually is, oi' some length. rlhevalve O is still turning under the action of the flowing water, and thecylindrical wall of the-valve soon closes the adjacent opening or mouthof the pipe f. The moving water inthe pipe f sucks in a portion of soiland water through the suction pipe. g, and that portion of soil andwater is impelled through the pipe 7@ when the flow is `again startedtherein. The lift or soil and water pipes are led to that area whereonit is desired to deposit the soil carried by the water. The stirrer M isbeing constantly rotated and keeps the water near it charged with soil.If for any reason the stirrer should become obstructed, the water willcontinue to enter both the intake D and the soil intakev Z4, and, theinfiow of the water alone is ordinarily capable of stirring up theeasily iioated soil to a very large extent. Up to this point in thisexplanation of the operation, it has been supposed that'the water hasbeen flowing into the intake D,

by reason of the high tide on the left or` outside of the embankment A,the' high water mark being indicated in Fig. l. Let it be now supposedthat the tide has receded and the low water mark, also indicated in Fig.l has been reached. rlhe reservoir or sink on` the right of theembankment A will have been filled during the tidal operation, and thewater from the right of the embankas best shown in Fig. 4:."

. pipe C, and is diverted ment A will now flow through, the ram andoutwardly through the intake D. The iiow of water is constant as before,and the valve is revolved. rlhe water flows into the rain by way of theclear water discharge periodically by the valve buckets F into the soiland water discharge pipe F, and a flow started outwardly in that pipe bythe momentum of the iniowing water in the pipe C. When the cylindricalportion or" the wall oi' the valve closes the opening of the pipe Fadjacent to the valve, the iow in the pipe F sucks up a portion of thesoil and water through the intake` ic and the suction pipe G. That is tosay, when the water iiows, .upwardly through the ram as the parts areillustrated in the drawings, the Vsoil and water discharge pipe f is inservice. But, when the water flows downwardly through the rain, the pipeF is engaged. By the use of this invention, both the rise and fall ofthe tide may be used to a greater or less extent.

Having now described this invention, and explained the mode of itsoperation, what l claim is l. In a hydraulic rain dredge, thecombination with a ram having a clear water intake, a valve, and a soiland water intake, of a discharge pipe from the said ram, and a suctionpipe leading from the said soil and waterintake and opening into thesaid discharge pipe beyond the said valve.

2. in a hydraulic ram dredge, the combination with a ram having a clearwater in take, a valve, a soil and waterintake, a discharge pipe forclear water, a discharge pipe for soil and water, the said valve beingarranged to control the said discharge pipes, and a suction pipe leadingfrom the said soil and water intake and opening into the said dischargepipe for soil and water beyond the said valve.

3. In a hydraulic ram dredge, the combination with a ram having amovable clear water intake, a valve, a movable soil and water intake, adischarge pipe for clear water, a discharge pipe for soil and water, thesaid valve being arranged to control 'the said discharge pipes, and asuction pipe connected with the said soil and water intake and openinginto the said soil and water discharge pipe beyond the said valve.

1i. In a hydraulic ram dredge, the combination with a ram having amovable clear water intake, a valve, ain1ovable soil and water intakearranged lengthwisey within the said clear water intake, a dischargepipe from the ram, and a suction pipe leading from the said soil andwater the said discharge valve.

5. ln a hydraulic ram dredge, the combination with a ram having a clearwater intake, a valve, a soil and water intake arpipe beyond the saidranged lengthwise within the said clear waterk intake, a discharge pipefor clear water, a discharge pipe for soil and water, thesaid valvebeing arrangedto control the said discharge pipes, anda suction pipeconnected with the said soil and water intake and opening into the saidsoil and water discharge pipe beyond the said valve.

6. In a hydraulic ram dredge, the combination with a ram having amovable clear water intake, a valve, a movable soil and water' intake,movable means arrangedl at the mouth of the said soil and water intakeand constructed to stir' up the soil, means for operating the saidstirring means, the said ram having a discharge pipe, the said valvebeing arranged to control the said discharge pipe, and a suction pipeleading from the said soil and water intake and opening into the saiddischarge piper beyond the said valve. l

7. In a hydraulic ram dredge, the combination with a ram having a soiland water intake, ing adjacent to the valve and controlled by the valve,a suction pipe connecting the said discharge pipe and the said soil andwater intake, a clear water discharge pipe connect-V ed with the saidram, and a water intake connected with the ram below the said valve.

S. In a hydraulic ram dredge, ,the combination with a ram having arotary valve, of

i a discharge pipe opening adjacent to the discharge pipe,

valve and controlled bythe valve, a soil and water suction pipeconnected with the said a clear waterl intake connect ed with the rambelow the valve, and a clear water discharge pipe.

' 9. In a hydraulic ram dredge, the combination. with a ram having arotary valve, of a discharge pipe opening adjacent to the valve andcontrolled by the valve, a clear water intake connected with the rambelow the said valve, a clear water discharge pipe, a soil and waterintake arranged lengthwise within the said clear water intake, and asuction pipe connecting the said soil and water intake with the saiddischarge pipe mentioned as opening adjacent to the valve.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for a rotary valve, a dischargepipe open- Y I 10. In a hydraulic ram dredge, the combination with a ramhavingV a soil and water,

intake, of a rotary valve having buckets arf ranged one over anotherwherebywater flowing in either directionwill revolve the valve,dischargepipes opening adj acent to the said valve one opening at ahigher point than an'- other,ythe vbuckets of the valve being positionedto register with the said openings of Y the discharge pipes, soilandwater suction pipes connected with the said dischargeA pipes, aClearwater intake opening below the valve,

ing above the said valve, and the wall of the ram having recesses forthe passage of water' past the valve to the lsaid discharge pipe abovethe valvevwhen'the valve is in a predetermined position.

a clear water discharge pipe open- 11. In a hydraulic ram,thecombination l with an intake, lof a discharge pipe, a lift i Vthe saidvalve being constructed to periodically cut oil the passage of the waterinto the said pipes, the said valve beingprovided with buckets wherebythe flow of water in either vdirection through the ram revolves lthevalve, and the ram having a portion eX- tending below the said valve andrconnected with the said intake.v

for actuating it by the iiow of In testimony whereof I aix my signaturef in presence oftwowitnesses. j

EDWIN K. OBRIEN.

Witnesses:

HORACE R. GEORGE, RICHARD C. BALINGER.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Y Washington,D. C.

